Speechless Finale (Hope not!) Review
If you don't know what Speechless is, check out my overall review.
Full transcript available here, although it doesn't split up who says what.
I'm not sure exactly how long this episode had to be made, but by my calculations, the series cancellation was after the final episode of Series 3 aired (sources: IMDb and contacting Kyla Kenedy (Dylan) on May 10). This is very weird because the final episode seemed to finish the story quite well.
Series 3 has been heavily focused on JJ getting ready for college (British translation: University). He originally wanted to go to NYU (The U stands for University! Why do they call it college?!), but JJ has a girlfriend, Izzy (played by Kayla Maisonet, who looks about 15 but is in fact nearly 20! (Kayla, if you ever read this, please don't take offense. If it's any consolation, my brother thinks you look 25)).
The other series have ended on (sort of) cliffhangers, with S1 ending with JJ going to summer camp (in S2 will we find out how he got on? Will he have made friends? Will he have made enemies (yes)?)
S2 ends on even more of a cliffhanger, with them being evicted from their house. They decide to ask for the money from Maya's father, perfectly cast as John Cleese basically playing John Cleese ("Harry Potter and the Order of the bloody Phoenix! And do you know how I know that? Because I hear it EIGHT bloody times a day!") I won't tell you how that story ends, but suffice to say it's definitely NOT what you were expecting. Only the DiMeos would go to London to get the money for a house and end up hijacking a bus (And no, I haven't spoiled it for you).
Full transcript available here, although it doesn't split up who says what.
I'm not sure exactly how long this episode had to be made, but by my calculations, the series cancellation was after the final episode of Series 3 aired (sources: IMDb and contacting Kyla Kenedy (Dylan) on May 10). This is very weird because the final episode seemed to finish the story quite well.
Series 3 has been heavily focused on JJ getting ready for college (British translation: University). He originally wanted to go to NYU (The U stands for University! Why do they call it college?!), but JJ has a girlfriend, Izzy (played by Kayla Maisonet, who looks about 15 but is in fact nearly 20! (Kayla, if you ever read this, please don't take offense. If it's any consolation, my brother thinks you look 25)).
The other series have ended on (sort of) cliffhangers, with S1 ending with JJ going to summer camp (in S2 will we find out how he got on? Will he have made friends? Will he have made enemies (yes)?)
S2 ends on even more of a cliffhanger, with them being evicted from their house. They decide to ask for the money from Maya's father, perfectly cast as John Cleese basically playing John Cleese ("Harry Potter and the Order of the bloody Phoenix! And do you know how I know that? Because I hear it EIGHT bloody times a day!") I won't tell you how that story ends, but suffice to say it's definitely NOT what you were expecting. Only the DiMeos would go to London to get the money for a house and end up hijacking a bus (And no, I haven't spoiled it for you).
On the other hand, the finale of S3 seems very final, with JJ finishing high school.
As usual, there are 3 plotlines:
He quickly tries to take advantage of the situation by flirting with everyone there, with little success. This annoys Ray, and he decides to find out why girls don't like him, learning that among other things, he is 'not physically hideous'; both too shy AND too confident, plus my favorite.
Eventually, he discovers that the main reason girls don't like him is because he spends so much time flirting with them, they don't get a chance to know the real him.
As usual, there are 3 plotlines:
- Maya is struggling to come to terms with JJ leaving (I think we were all expecting this)
- Jimmy has quit his job with the TSA to become an architect. Dylan is helping him.
- Ray is on a camping weekend where he tries to find out why girls don't like him.
- In case you were wondering what happened to Kenneth, he is in the D story where JJ has to give a speech at his graduation but gets increasingly frustrated when JJ doesn't have a plan, saying he will wing it.
We open in a format which frankly looks more like it would belong in a pilot, with Maya alone on a black background performing a lengthy monologue about her smashing barriers about being unrealistic about JJ's future and how he has defied expectations.
"He'll never be able to go to a normal school..."
"He's never going to have a romantic relationship..."
"... It's too unrealistic."
Maya goes on to explain that she has helped JJ overcome all these obstacles and the camera fades in on her talking to a school photographer about a special order that she wants. Under duress, the photographer caves and cut to the family with the photo in the living room.
All:
Maya: Actually it is a bit big.
I can't remember the exact order of the rest of the episode so I'm going to explain each story separately.
Dylan and Jimmy
Jimmy's love of architecture has been mentioned throughout the series, but it is not actually pursued much. The closest was when their neighbour (shut up Grammarly, we're British. That's how it's spelled) asked Jimmy for some help designing his new extension. At the end of the episode P-R-O-M-P--PROMPOSAL (link no longer works), the family remodeled JJ's promposal video to show off Jimmy's architecture skills.
Jimmy: You sent this to every architecture firm in a 10-mile radius? So what contact information did you put on it?
All:
J:
All:
Dylan: We're makin' a new video! (arms confetti cannon)
During this episode, Jimmy has a project he is working on and has set himself a pact that he will not shave his moustache until he gets an architecture job. He tells Dylan this, and she decides to join him in solidarity.
"... It's too unrealistic."
Maya goes on to explain that she has helped JJ overcome all these obstacles and the camera fades in on her talking to a school photographer about a special order that she wants. Under duress, the photographer caves and cut to the family with the photo in the living room.
All:
Maya: Actually it is a bit big.
I can't remember the exact order of the rest of the episode so I'm going to explain each story separately.
Dylan and Jimmy
Jimmy's love of architecture has been mentioned throughout the series, but it is not actually pursued much. The closest was when their neighbour (shut up Grammarly, we're British. That's how it's spelled) asked Jimmy for some help designing his new extension. At the end of the episode P-R-O-M-P--PROMPOSAL (link no longer works), the family remodeled JJ's promposal video to show off Jimmy's architecture skills.
Jimmy: You sent this to every architecture firm in a 10-mile radius? So what contact information did you put on it?
All:
J:
All:
Dylan: We're makin' a new video! (arms confetti cannon)
During this episode, Jimmy has a project he is working on and has set himself a pact that he will not shave his moustache until he gets an architecture job. He tells Dylan this, and she decides to join him in solidarity.
Later in the episode, Dylan comes across Jimmy surrounded by small model prototypes. Jimmy is despairing because he thinks they're all bad. Dylan responds in typical fashion by stomping on one of them, destroying it.
J: What are you doing?
D: finding out which one you actually like. (Stomps)
(She continues stomping until:)
D: (almost stomps)
J: No! That one shows potential.
D: See? It worked. (Stomps on another model) Whoops. (Leaves)
Maya and JJ
This story focuses mainly on Maya, who I'm going to need to explain a bit of backstory about.
The season has been leading up to JJ going to college, and obviously Maya has a problem with this because it will mean him leaving home, so she has been trying to subtly encourage him to join a university nearby, but JJ has his heart set on NYU because of their film education programme.
Believe it or not, the above paragraph is a single sentence.
Throughout this episode, Maya has to feign enthusiasm about NYU. However, JJ looks at his acceptance letters with Izzy via facetime so the rest of the family don't find out straight away. This leads to a fun altercation outside JJs room:
Jimmy: What's going on?
Kenneth: JJ got his results. He and Izzy are opening them together.
Ray/Dylan/K: (listen at door)
J: Nonverbal.
R/D/K: Right. (Stand away from the door)
It's a fun gag, but it doesn't make sense. If you don't want to watch a frog die, skip the next paragraph.
Sure, JJ is nonverbal and Izzy doesn't read his board out loud anymore (see below) because flirting, but she can and does talk out loud so they (R/D/K) should be able to hear her speaking. Plus, how on earth can she read JJ's board if he needs to be facing the board and the laptop at the same time?
Good news, the frog lives!
When he leaves the room, JJ tells the family that he hasn't got into NYU and he is going to Irvine so he can be near Izzy who is going to Chapman. Maya is thrilled with this news but tries to hide it, but when JJ says she can be happy, she replies that she thinks she's forgotten how.
Cut to JJ and Izzy checking out a new apartment with Maya and Kenneth. In typical fashion, Izzy and JJ are flirting
M: She's not even reading his board out loud anymore...
K: I wish someone would read MY board like that.
Maya is being Maya
M: I mean, the shades are lovely, aren't they?
I: They're okay.
M: She hates them! Get rid of them!
Aaaand... Kenneth punches a hole in the wall
K: ... Found a dent.
Later in the episode, JJ reveals that Izzy has broken up with him. He begs Maya not to get involved, but she's Maya, so that was never going to happen.
M: Hello, Izzy. Time for a talk.
I: Why didn't you ring the bell?
M: (sinisterly) Oh, I like a good surprise. What you said to JJ about breaking up? That was a bad surprise.
Izzy reveals that the reason they broke up was because NYU are reconsidering JJ, but he is choosing his relationship over his dream. Izzy says there is only one person JJ will listen to.
Ray
Ray goes on a school trip (NOT a Ray-cation, that's different) and while he's there, all his male classmates are sent home because the teacher injured himself falling down a ravine.
Quote of the episode: "They shouldn't put ravines under windows." Funny line, but also good life advice.
Good news, the frog lives!
When he leaves the room, JJ tells the family that he hasn't got into NYU and he is going to Irvine so he can be near Izzy who is going to Chapman. Maya is thrilled with this news but tries to hide it, but when JJ says she can be happy, she replies that she thinks she's forgotten how.
Cut to JJ and Izzy checking out a new apartment with Maya and Kenneth. In typical fashion, Izzy and JJ are flirting
M: She's not even reading his board out loud anymore...
K: I wish someone would read MY board like that.
Maya is being Maya
M: I mean, the shades are lovely, aren't they?
I: They're okay.
M: She hates them! Get rid of them!
Aaaand... Kenneth punches a hole in the wall
K: ... Found a dent.
Later in the episode, JJ reveals that Izzy has broken up with him. He begs Maya not to get involved, but she's Maya, so that was never going to happen.
M: Hello, Izzy. Time for a talk.
I: Why didn't you ring the bell?
M: (sinisterly) Oh, I like a good surprise. What you said to JJ about breaking up? That was a bad surprise.
Izzy reveals that the reason they broke up was because NYU are reconsidering JJ, but he is choosing his relationship over his dream. Izzy says there is only one person JJ will listen to.
Ray
Ray goes on a school trip (NOT a Ray-cation, that's different) and while he's there, all his male classmates are sent home because the teacher injured himself falling down a ravine.
Quote of the episode: "They shouldn't put ravines under windows." Funny line, but also good life advice.
He quickly tries to take advantage of the situation by flirting with everyone there, with little success. This annoys Ray, and he decides to find out why girls don't like him, learning that among other things, he is 'not physically hideous'; both too shy AND too confident, plus my favorite.
Eventually, he discovers that the main reason girls don't like him is because he spends so much time flirting with them, they don't get a chance to know the real him.
He decides to start over and just introduce himself, opening up a lot in the process. As he is being particularly open about something embarrassing, the other boys arrive and announce their intentions to bully him throughout the next school year.
Kenneth
JJ has to give a speech at the end of the graduation ceremony (important to note that he was nominated by the class, he is not valedictorian).
Kenneth pops up repeatedly throughout the episode asking how much of the speech JJ has written, to which his reply is always I'm winging it. One of these results in the aforementioned wall destruction.
K: Wing it? Oh, no. You are no good on your feet, so I end up standing there reading, looking like an idiot. You're writing that speech, mister.
There's not much more to say about Kenneth's subplot, except that it, like all the other plots, leads to the climax of the episode (and the series!) which is the speech itself. Of course, JJ was never going to wing it and has in fact written a speech in advance for Kenneth to read.
Kenneth starts to read the speech, but is quickly overcome with emotion and is repeatedly replaced as JJ's voice:
(In the below interchanges, quotation marks indicate when someone is reading for JJ. Other quotes are their own)
K: Your words, my voice, for the last time. Students. [VOICE BREAKING] Facul ty [SNIFFLES] Brrrb. [QUIETLY] Hold it together. Hold it together. [EXHALES SHARPLY, SNIFFLES] Don't do this. [CROWD "AWW"ING] [SOBBING] I stand before you as a confi "[SOBBING] I'm just so proud!
Dylan: [CLEARS THROAT] "My road to Lafayette was a long one. The road ahead" [VOICE BREAKING] "is even longer."
Ray: "I know " [CRYING]
D: Weenie.
R: You just cried.
Jimmy: I got this. There's gotta be some jokes in here somewhere, right? Yeah. [CLEARS THROAT] "And who could forget the lunches? Beefaroni?" [VOICE BREAKING] "More like " You're right, son. It is more like barf-aroni.
DISCLAIMER: The above transcript was taken from https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=speechless-2016&episode=s03e22, which provides all the dialogue said but not necessarily who said it. Therefore, Who said what above may (Read: is probably) be wrong.
Finally, Maya takes over as JJ decides to wing it after all.
M: "Forget what I wrote. I have one message. A lesson I was learning every day for years without realizing it. I learned it again today. From my first teacher. I'm the king of my own land" Take it home, Kenneth.
K: "It's a hard lesson. It can make you do things you don't want to. Like say goodbye. Facing tempests of dust, I'll fight until the end. Be unrealistic. Be unrealistic. Thank you."
And that's the end.
Except that it isn't. That was the end of high school. We have a fun post-credits scene of JJ in his accessible accommodation, waking up, winding his way through NYC, to... The rest of the family. Term doesn't start for another 2 months, so they're trying to get JJ down from 3 hours late to 'the respectable DiMeo 15 minutes'.
I finally finished this review! Unfortunately, it's taken me so long you now have less than 24 hours to catch up on All 4, but if you are lucky enough to live in the US of A it's available on ABC Go.
Please also sign the petition so we can see more of JJ at college (but the U stands for University!) and sick around, the normal reviews will be back soon.
And in case you were wondering what happened to Jimmy, Ray and Dylan, well, you'll have to watch it yourself to find out.
Kenneth pops up repeatedly throughout the episode asking how much of the speech JJ has written, to which his reply is always I'm winging it. One of these results in the aforementioned wall destruction.
K: Wing it? Oh, no. You are no good on your feet, so I end up standing there reading, looking like an idiot. You're writing that speech, mister.
There's not much more to say about Kenneth's subplot, except that it, like all the other plots, leads to the climax of the episode (and the series!) which is the speech itself. Of course, JJ was never going to wing it and has in fact written a speech in advance for Kenneth to read.
Kenneth starts to read the speech, but is quickly overcome with emotion and is repeatedly replaced as JJ's voice:
(In the below interchanges, quotation marks indicate when someone is reading for JJ. Other quotes are their own)
K: Your words, my voice, for the last time. Students. [VOICE BREAKING] Facul ty [SNIFFLES] Brrrb. [QUIETLY] Hold it together. Hold it together. [EXHALES SHARPLY, SNIFFLES] Don't do this. [CROWD "AWW"ING] [SOBBING] I stand before you as a confi "[SOBBING] I'm just so proud!
Dylan: [CLEARS THROAT] "My road to Lafayette was a long one. The road ahead" [VOICE BREAKING] "is even longer."
Ray: "I know " [CRYING]
D: Weenie.
R: You just cried.
Jimmy: I got this. There's gotta be some jokes in here somewhere, right? Yeah. [CLEARS THROAT] "And who could forget the lunches? Beefaroni?" [VOICE BREAKING] "More like " You're right, son. It is more like barf-aroni.
DISCLAIMER: The above transcript was taken from https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=speechless-2016&episode=s03e22, which provides all the dialogue said but not necessarily who said it. Therefore, Who said what above may (Read: is probably) be wrong.
Finally, Maya takes over as JJ decides to wing it after all.
M: "Forget what I wrote. I have one message. A lesson I was learning every day for years without realizing it. I learned it again today. From my first teacher. I'm the king of my own land" Take it home, Kenneth.
K: "It's a hard lesson. It can make you do things you don't want to. Like say goodbye. Facing tempests of dust, I'll fight until the end. Be unrealistic. Be unrealistic. Thank you."
And that's the end.
Except that it isn't. That was the end of high school. We have a fun post-credits scene of JJ in his accessible accommodation, waking up, winding his way through NYC, to... The rest of the family. Term doesn't start for another 2 months, so they're trying to get JJ down from 3 hours late to 'the respectable DiMeo 15 minutes'.
I finally finished this review! Unfortunately, it's taken me so long you now have less than 24 hours to catch up on All 4, but if you are lucky enough to live in the US of A it's available on ABC Go.
Please also sign the petition so we can see more of JJ at college (but the U stands for University!) and sick around, the normal reviews will be back soon.
And in case you were wondering what happened to Jimmy, Ray and Dylan, well, you'll have to watch it yourself to find out.
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